BS: Virgin V Mail

Subject: BS: Virgin V Mail
From: Raggytash
Date: 09 Jan 18 - 11:06 AM

Here's one right up your street Steve, Virgin Train have stopped stocking the Daily Mail !!


Handbags at dawn !

Subject: RE: BS: Virgin V Mail
From: Charmion
Date: 09 Jan 18 - 11:16 AM

The Mail clearly has trouble with the notion of taking responsibility for its content.

But I gather that's not news ... ?

Subject: RE: BS: Virgin V Mail
From: Senoufou
Date: 09 Jan 18 - 11:55 AM

Would they ban someone from carrying one onto the train? I like to do my crossword and puzzles...

Subject: RE: BS: Virgin V Mail
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 09 Jan 18 - 12:28 PM

Great! Now for Murdoch...

Subject: RE: BS: Virgin V Mail
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 09 Jan 18 - 12:30 PM

Though oddly I can get a free copy from Waitrose with my Waitrose card if I spend ten quid... And I do, occasionally, just to see what feeds the bigots...

Subject: RE: BS: Virgin V Mail
From: Raggytash
Date: 09 Jan 18 - 12:31 PM

Don't know why but I can't see Murdoch travelling by train!!

Subject: RE: BS: Virgin V Mail
From: Senoufou
Date: 09 Jan 18 - 12:35 PM

I don't like the idea of censorship in this manner. It's a free country, and one can read a legal publication, surely?
I like the health pages, the women's section and the letters. But I don't bother with the articles. It takes me ages just to do all the four pages of puzzles. My husband loves it - he runs down to the village shop to buy it for me, as it gives him an hour of blissful peace while he relaxes..

Subject: RE: BS: Virgin V Mail
From: Raggytash
Date: 09 Jan 18 - 12:59 PM

You won't be banned from taking it on the train Eliza, Virgin themselves won't be selling it, that is all.

Sadly much of what is printed is misleading, shall we say.

For example:

Last week I was in the barbers and had a quick look at it. It carried an article with banner headlines castigating a Labour minister Richard Burgon (in the last Labour government) for something that happened at the Crown Prosecution Service during his tenureship.

Only well into the article did it actually say he may not have even known about the particular case they mentioned and that he was not directly involved in the case.

Nevertheless the headline said he was a fault. Misleading is being generous I feel.

Subject: RE: BS: Virgin V Mail
From: Raggytash
Date: 09 Jan 18 - 01:16 PM

My apologys, I put an incorrect name it was Keir Starmer they castigated. The following day they printed the article attached:

Link

Subject: RE: BS: Virgin V Mail
From: Senoufou
Date: 09 Jan 18 - 01:26 PM

They do have a terrible reputation for racism and right-wing extremism don't they Raggytash? My husband likes The Verdict (sports pages) and the Hour of Peace!!
My more upper-crust sister tries frequently to raise the standard of my choice of journalism by plugging the Times. While she can whizz through their very hard crossword in record time, I find it a bit tricky.
I suppose I could buy the Times and use its cover to disguise my scurrilous Mail on a train...

Subject: RE: BS: Virgin V Mail
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 09 Jan 18 - 05:11 PM

How is it " censorship" when the train sells only the Mirror, Times and FT anyway? The train doesn't sell the Guardian or Indie. Yah boo! Censorbloodyship!

Subject: RE: BS: Virgin V Mail
From: Senoufou
Date: 10 Jan 18 - 04:27 AM

Well I'm not the only one Steve. The Internet, eg Twitter, is apparently flooded with objections along the same lines (sorry for the pun)
And Yah boo to you too, with knobs on!! Mler! :)

Subject: RE: BS: Virgin V Mail
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 10 Jan 18 - 04:51 AM

The Internet, eg Twitter, is apparently flooded with objections along the same lines

Many people object to anything. There are more important issues

Morrisons does not stock 'Socialist Worker'
I cannot get 'The Catholic Herald' at the CofE church down the road
My local newsagents does not stock 'Nuns in rubber' magazine

Where are all the objections?

:D tG

Subject: RE: BS: Virgin V Mail
From: Senoufou
Date: 10 Jan 18 - 05:10 AM

Aaaagh! Hahahahahahaha Dave!!!!!
Ooooh I want a copy of 'Nuns In Rubber'!! That would pass the time on the train beautifully wouldn't it? Hee hee, you've made my day! :)

Subject: RE: BS: Virgin V Mail
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 10 Jan 18 - 06:10 AM

When I'm in Prestwich I always buy a copy of the local Jewish newspaper but I'd be gobsmacked if I saw the equivalent for sale in Bude. When I put my free copy of the Mail into my Waitrose trolley it always goes in face down with a hurriedly-obtained bag of spuds on top of it. I could get the Times or Telegraph instead I suppose. Even the Guardian, but I get that every day anyway. All I can say about the Mail's ridiculous squealing about this is that it's completely in character. It's an idiotic newspaper and I can say that because of the occasional copy I endure. If only they'd print it on absorbent and slightly thinner paper. A bit of newsprint on the bumchicks would be a small price to pay...

Subject: RE: BS: Virgin V Mail
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 10 Jan 18 - 06:45 AM

A rather wonderful and only slightly tongue in cheek article on the Daily Heil here on Rational Wiki

Enjoy

:D tG

Subject: RE: BS: Virgin V Mail
From: Senoufou
Date: 10 Jan 18 - 06:53 AM

If it's any comfort to you all, I do use old copies of the Mail to put under the cat litter tray. Our old cat Smokey does miss his aim sometimes, and it catches the poo...

Subject: RE: BS: Virgin V Mail
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 10 Jan 18 - 07:08 AM

..some might say cat poo is too good for The Mail...

Subject: RE: BS: Virgin V Mail
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 10 Jan 18 - 09:51 AM

Could you get your pussycat to perhaps take aim at the next photo of Gove that appears in the paper?

Subject: RE: BS: Virgin V Mail
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 10 Jan 18 - 10:01 AM

How is it " censorship" when the train sells only the Mirror, Times and FT anyway? The train doesn't sell the Guardian or Indie

The Indie is no longer in print and the Guardian is very expensive and has a tiny readership.
I believe the Mail is the biggest seller after The Sun, selling almost 10 times more than the Guardian.

The 3 papers they are providing happen to be all pro-Remain, like Branson.
The Mail takes a Brexit line, and was very critical of his trains being bailed out by the taxpayer.
It does look like political censorship.

Subject: RE: BS: Virgin V Mail
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 10 Jan 18 - 10:19 AM

Hardly 'censorship'.
Virgin Trains are not doing anything to block the issue of the Daily Mail, or prevent their passengers from reading it.
They are no longer stocking it.
I remember the uproar when the Students' Union in Cardiff insisted that the shop in the building stop stocking the Sun, because page 3 objectified women.
Even that was nothing compared to when they stopped stocking any Nestle chocolate goods as a boycott because of the promotion of 'formula' milk in third world countries.

Subject: RE: BS: Virgin V Mail
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 10 Jan 18 - 10:19 AM

A Virgin Trains spokesperson said: “We regularly review the products we have on sale for customers in the shop onboard our west coast trains and after listening to feedback from our people, we decided in November 2017 that we would no longer stock copies of the Daily Mail.

"When we stocked the Daily Mail onboard, we sold one copy for every four trains.”

Simple economics and nothing to do with censorship it seems.

Although, if it were me, I would continue to stock it but limit it to small squares in the smallest rooms...

DtG

Subject: RE: BS: Virgin V Mail
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 10 Jan 18 - 10:27 AM

"When we stocked the Daily Mail onboard, we sold one copy for every four trains."

It is hard to believe that claim about the biggest selling paper after The Sun, far outselling The Times and Mirror combined.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_newspapers_in_the_United_Kingdom_by_circulation

Subject: RE: BS: Virgin V Mail
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 10 Jan 18 - 10:27 AM

The Mail is a shit-rag, and Branson is an arsehole...

you'd think that would be a perfect match made in heaven...!!!???

Subject: RE: BS: Virgin V Mail
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 10 Jan 18 - 10:28 AM

Ok, so it doesn't sell the i either, which is very cheap.

You have no cause for complaint. Virgin is a privatised industry and Branson is not a newsagent obliged to sell every rag going, so he can do what the hell he likes. Brexit has nowt to do with it except in your head. You could find a dozen other criteria that puts his choice of the three papers out of balance. Two Tory papers to one non-Tory paper. Not fair! Three men editors, no women. Not fair! Give it a rest, Keith.

Subject: RE: BS: Virgin V Mail
From: Raggytash
Date: 10 Jan 18 - 10:29 AM

I did like the link to Rational wiki Dave, a thought it painted a pretty accurate picture.

Subject: RE: BS: Virgin V Mail
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 10 Jan 18 - 10:32 AM

It is hard to believe that claim

Take it up with the Virgin spokesperson concerned. I am sure they would be happy to retract if it was wrong.

DtG

Subject: RE: BS: Virgin V Mail
From: Mr Red
Date: 11 Jan 18 - 06:07 AM

from Waitrose with my Waitrose card

slippery slope PAL! You will be buying bottles Hawaiian water next!

(I don't make these things up - well, unless there is an emoji)

it is hard to believe that claim about the biggest selling paper after The Sun, far outselling The Times and Mirror combined.
That may have something to do with who can afford the price of a rail ticket. Demographics and all that. Just saying.

And anyway if the economics don't stack up and Branson is getting grief from his staff, it is a no-brainer. (with reference to the comic as well, adjective applies)

Subject: RE: BS: Virgin V Mail
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 11 Jan 18 - 06:18 AM

I won't be buying bottled water but I am on the lookout today for their own-brand harissa paste...

Pretentious, moi?

Subject: RE: BS: Virgin V Mail
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 11 Jan 18 - 07:48 AM

I went up the trading estate to the Waitrose for the first time in many years,
to pick up a John Lewis parcel.

Does that mean even I am now middle class...??? oh f@ck...!!!

I was only in there about 5 minutes, and I stayed close to the customer service counter by the exit...

Subject: RE: BS: Virgin V Mail
From: Senoufou
Date: 11 Jan 18 - 08:04 AM

Sorry, pfr, you're now a pariah! Waitrose AND John Lewis?? Good grief!!
You're what Norfolk folk would call "Whooolly contaaaaaaminated"!

Subject: RE: BS: Virgin V Mail
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 11 Jan 18 - 08:14 AM

Take it up with the Virgin spokesperson concerned. I am sure they would be happy to retract if it was wrong.

No.
I just point out that their claim is hard to believe.
Every other newsagent including those in stations sell many more Mails than anything else except The Sun.
Why would train passengers on Virgin trains be different from the rest?

Subject: RE: BS: Virgin V Mail
From: Iains
Date: 11 Jan 18 - 08:58 AM

Make of it what you will!


Who reads What?

Subject: RE: BS: Virgin V Mail
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 11 Jan 18 - 09:17 AM

Hoopla anyone?

DtG

Subject: RE: BS: Virgin V Mail
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 11 Jan 18 - 09:23 AM

Surely old hippy Branson is missing a trick my not banning all dead tree media from his trains...???

Subject: RE: BS: Virgin V Mail
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 11 Jan 18 - 09:37 AM

We're not clear, Keith. Are you saying that Virgin Trains are liars? Piss or get off the pot, old boy. "Hard to believe" is pusillanimous in the extreme.

Subject: RE: BS: Virgin V Mail
From: Greg F.
Date: 11 Jan 18 - 11:01 AM

He's saying its hard for HIM to believe, Steve. Of course, many facts are difficult for The Professor to believe, if past practice is any indication.

(p.s. you're wasting your time.......0

Subject: RE: BS: Virgin V Mail
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 11 Jan 18 - 12:02 PM

I suspect they are lying about this for all the reasons I gave.

Subject: RE: BS: Virgin V Mail
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 11 Jan 18 - 12:56 PM

I know, Greg. I'm not saying that he's biased, but he's biased...

Subject: RE: BS: Virgin V Mail
From: Raggytash
Date: 11 Jan 18 - 04:51 PM

Dare I mention TC, and I'm not referring to the childrens programme Top Cat, which I rather enjoyed as a youngster.

Subject: RE: BS: Virgin V Mail
From: Mr Red
Date: 11 Jan 18 - 06:44 PM

I used to go to Waitrose just to get a free cup of coffee (& nothing else). Does that make me a pretentious anarchist?

Subject: RE: BS: Virgin V Mail
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 11 Jan 18 - 07:13 PM

Oi, pal, you have to spend ten quid to get that coffee. So what were you buying? Harissa paste? Quinoa? Big jars of salted capers? Bags of vacuum-packed clams? Unsalted albacore tuna fillets in extra virgin olive oil? Special Puglian bread for next Friday night's bruschetta with EV olive oil and chopped San Marzano tomatoes?

Subject: RE: BS: Virgin V Mail
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 12 Jan 18 - 05:22 AM

Daily Mirror headline,
"Jeremy Corbyn WOULD sell the Daily Mail once he renationalises the railways - reversing decision by Virgin Trains"
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/jeremy-corbyn-would-sell-daily-11829308

Subject: RE: BS: Virgin V Mail
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 12 Jan 18 - 06:00 AM

Very clever ploy to get Dail Heil readers to vote for him. And they will probably fall for it :-)

DtG

Subject: RE: BS: Virgin V Mail
From: Senoufou
Date: 12 Jan 18 - 06:05 AM

My husband has just nipped out to get my Daily Heil from the village shop... (hides behind the sofa in case any Mudcat posters live near here...)

Subject: RE: BS: Virgin V Mail
From: Raggytash
Date: 12 Jan 18 - 06:18 AM

David !!

Heaven forfend, you are not really suggesting the Daily Mail readership are so naive are you !!

Subject: RE: BS: Virgin V Mail
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 12 Jan 18 - 06:21 AM

I think they are probably as naive as politicians are wiley :-)

DtG

Subject: RE: BS: Virgin V Mail
From: Raggytash
Date: 12 Jan 18 - 06:25 AM

Heh heh!!

Subject: RE: BS: Virgin V Mail
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 12 Jan 18 - 09:21 AM

Corbyn.... "Very clever ploy to get Dail Heil readers to vote for him"

So if May is desperate enough, will she try to counter this by standing on the pavement outside the Downing Street gates
selling Socialist Worker and Morning Star...?????

Subject: RE: BS: Virgin V Mail
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 12 Jan 18 - 09:25 AM

I suspect she may even cock that up, PFR.

:D tG

Subject: RE: BS: Virgin V Mail
From: Senoufou
Date: 12 Jan 18 - 11:57 AM

There's a cartoon in today's...er...Daily Mail, showing a man bound hand and foot being dangled over a huge vat of boiling melted plastic. A henchman is explaining to his mate, "He was caught reading the Daily Mail on the train"
At least, that's a rough account of what he was saying. I can't check, as the paper is now under the cats' litter tray.

Subject: RE: BS: Virgin V Mail
From: Mr Red
Date: 15 Jan 18 - 06:43 AM

Oi, pal, you have to spend ten quid to get that coffee re Waitrose.

Nah, you have to spend in the cafe. I bought a banana at 25p. Originally it was just free coffee, then buy something in the cafe.
Now? Dunno! I went with a lady friend and it was on the way along the canal we walked. Things change, we dance now.

And all the usual papers were there to read in the cafe. Even the local rags, which are more relevant, or did I mean less opinion?

Subject: RE: BS: Virgin V Mail
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 15 Jan 18 - 07:50 AM

Virgin have changed their mind and do not want to be seen as censoring what their passengers read.

Subject: RE: BS: Virgin V Mail
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 15 Jan 18 - 07:55 AM

Or, at least, they are re-assessing the sales, and have reintroduced them for now: BBC

Virgin Group boss Sir Richard Branson said he instructed the firm to restock the paper while a review takes place.

Subject: RE: BS: Virgin V Mail
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 15 Jan 18 - 08:04 AM

so.. which paper broke that story about Branson borishly motorboating a singers knockers at a mega wealthy island retreat hedonistic party...???

Subject: RE: BS: Virgin V Mail
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 15 Jan 18 - 08:07 AM

"boorishly".. ooh we do miss mudcat spellckeck..

Subject: RE: BS: Virgin V Mail
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 15 Jan 18 - 08:35 AM

Strange, when I type 'borishly' into the 'reply to thread' box it underlines it in red and offers me the correct spelling.

Subject: RE: BS: Virgin V Mail
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 15 Jan 18 - 08:45 AM

Nigel - not here for some days [Chrome / Win 8.1].. yet another of the mudcat coding refurb anomalies..???

Time to try another emoticon test: ?

Subject: RE: BS: Virgin V Mail
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 15 Jan 18 - 08:46 AM

nope.. still don't work...

Subject: RE: BS: Virgin V Mail
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 15 Jan 18 - 08:51 AM

anyway, the Mail certainly seems to be one of the first mainstream UK papers to break

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5115817/Sir-Richard-Branson-accused-motorboating-singer.html

Subject: RE: BS: Virgin V Mail
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 15 Jan 18 - 08:57 AM

So lessee, Keith, if Virgin never stocked, e.g., the Guardian, that's not really worthy of comment. That's fine. But if it stocked the Mail, then stopped stocking the Mail, that's censorship.

Get real, Keith. Just about the only people who regard that as censorship are you and the Daily Mail. Well that makes sense, come to think of it.

Subject: RE: BS: Virgin V Mail
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 15 Jan 18 - 09:06 AM

Keith is consistently good for a chuckle or 2 on a dreary Monday morning.

But my main enjoyment in this thread is a chance to take the piss out of both the Mail and old hippy tycoon Branson...

Subject: RE: BS: Virgin V Mail
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 15 Jan 18 - 09:44 AM

Yeah, a fight with no good guys in it...

Subject: RE: BS: Virgin V Mail
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 15 Jan 18 - 12:34 PM

I did not call it censorship.
I quoted Virgin.
OK?

Subject: RE: BS: Virgin V Mail
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 15 Jan 18 - 12:55 PM

Yes you did. This thread, 10 Jan:

"It does look like political censorship."

Subject: RE: BS: Virgin V Mail
From: Raggytash
Date: 15 Jan 18 - 01:11 PM

Ah but Steve, Political censorship is not the same as censorship








well that will be the excuse.

Subject: RE: BS: Virgin V Mail
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 15 Jan 18 - 01:23 PM

Anyway, the Guardian is a rather lovely-looking tabloid now. I'll have to think of an alternative pejorative from now on when I'm attacking the lesser tabloids.

Subject: RE: BS: Virgin V Mail
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 15 Jan 18 - 01:59 PM

I said it looked like political censorship and gave reasons.

You said, Just about the only people who regard that as censorship are you and the Daily Mail.

You are wrong. Virgin Trains said they did not want to appear to be censoring their passengers reading.

Independent, (note I am not mentioned)
"Richard Branson has overturned a decision to stop stocking the Daily Mail on Virgin Trains, a move he acknowledged had “been seen as censorship”. "
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/virgin-trains-will-stock-daily-mail-newspapers-says-richard-branson-in-u-turn-decision/ar-AAuHYh1?OCID=ansmsnnews11

Subject: RE: BS: Virgin V Mail
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 15 Jan 18 - 04:27 PM

Your mastery of English is second to everybody's, Keith. Jayz, I need emojees!

Subject: RE: BS: Virgin V Mail
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 15 Jan 18 - 04:47 PM

Differe...

Oh, you know how it goes

:D tG

Subject: RE: BS: Virgin V Mail
From: Greg F.
Date: 15 Jan 18 - 05:14 PM

Chaps, there really is no point in beating a (brain)dead professor.